A holiday abroad with your child is very different from permanent relocation. However, you must get the permission of everyone with parental responsibility for a child or from a court before taking the child abroad. Usually, that will mean getting the permission of the other parent.
You automatically have parental responsibility if you're the child's mother, but you still need the permission of anyone else with parental responsibility before you take the child abroad.
You can take a child abroad for 28 days without permission if a child arrangement order says the child must live with you unless a court order says you can't.
A letter from the person with parental responsibility for the child is usually enough to show you've got permission to take them abroad.
You might be asked for the letter at a UK or foreign border or if there's a dispute about taking a child abroad. The letter should include the other person's contact details and details about the trip.
It also helps if you've:
- Evidence of your relationship with the child, e.g. a birth or adoption certificate
- A divorce or marriage certificate, if you are a single parent but your family name is different from the child's.
If the other person with parental responsibility refuses to let you take the child abroad, you would have to make an application to the court. The court will consider the welfare checklist above when making a decision. The court will also need to see documentary evidence of the proposed holiday and return date. Usually, a court would not prevent someone from taking a child on holiday without good reason.